X's multifaceted eyes scanned the clearing, taking in the scene with chilling efficiency. The BloodAppleTree, his prized sapling, stood unharmed. Relief flickered in his mind, quickly extinguished by a growing unease. A grotesque bulge marred the dark bark of the trunk, pulsing with an unnatural green light. It wasn't a mere knot of wood; it was a prison, and within it thrashed a captured figure.

"Well Done, My Loyal Friend," X rumbled, his voice a chorus of grunts and hisses. His tentacles stroked the rough bark in a gesture of appreciation. Then his eyes turned to stare at the captive, animosity burning deep within them. "[Inspect]," he commanded, the word echoing in his own mind as the System responded.

Title: Shazara

Class: [Tamer] lvl.15

Magic Affinity: Nature

Race: Yuan-ti

Variant: HalfBlood

>>>[🐍]<<<

HP:120/120

MP:110/150

STA:20/100

Skills

[VenomBite], [SnakeCharm], [Constrict]

Perks

[ProtectiveScales], [Camouflage], [ColdBlooded], [Darkvision]

Tags

[MagicalReistance +1]

[Weakened]

A wave of fury crashed over X. This yuan-ti, a serpentine humanoid, was responsible for the carnage in the Rabbit Village. The scent of her kind filled his senses, a sickly-sweet perfume masking the underlying feral musk. Her emerald scales were dull, her movements sluggish – the telltale signs of the Weakened debuff.

X let out a guttural growl, a sound that sent shivers down the spine of the captured Tamer. "You!" he boomed, his voice dripping with venom. "You wiLL Pay DeaRly FOR youR Crimes!"

He raised a tentacle to dispense the judgment. Suddenly, before he could strike, the world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of static.

S̵͔͛̇̈̈́̅̓͊̓͒͌̈́́͝'̷̛͇͔͈̠̽̅͐̎̓̀̾̓̔͘u̴̧͕̺̭̞̰̐̀͗̾̂͂̂̍̚͘ḥ̷̨̢͚͈̖̦͖̭͉̗̋̏̈͆̋̾͌̎͜͝n̸̢̲̰̠͔̤̼̎͆̎̅̋͒ ̸̨̥̰͙̭̯̦̾͋̑́̒̿̓̈́͘n̵̠̒̈́̇̅͒͐̚̕'̶͇̦͓̳͗͐g̴̞͎͓̓̍̍̀̆̓́̎̿͆̈́̕͝h̵̡̲̖͓̜͊̑̅̋f̵̜͍̖̪͔͉͙̼̦̻̓̎̈́͊̎̀̋͒̀͊̾́ͅt̴̢̯̪͓̯̟̦̩͇̪̭̟͚̦͒̀ͅ ̸̢̨̢̛͚̺͓̺͉͓͙͕̯̘͖̞̉̒̎̀͒͑̅̆̈́͝w̶̨̢̤̟͕͖͔̺̏̋͌̄̕ğ̴̲̩̹̭̭͙̗͚̾͗a̷̢̛̫̗̱̼͉̘̽̈́͐̈́͋̓̍̽̿͊ḩ̵̡̜̜̭̓̒̎̆̓̊́͠'̶̧̨̝͔͍͓̥̖̳͉͈̝̳̘̋̂̈̐͋͆̚͘͝͝n̸͕͔̎ ̵̧͉́̽p̴̥̮͕̫͋ḩ̸̺̯̘͎̪̤̲̥͖͔̜̥̆̅̃͝'̴̧̡̱͉͚̻̥̌̇͆̑̓ͅn̴̨̢̧̦͔͇̼̘̥͎̘̱̺̕͜ģ̸̛͓̘̌̄̍̎͒̓̂͘ͅl̸͎͉̬̬̰̠̙̳̅̽͋̐̌ȗ̴̧̝̥̳̫̙̤̲͕͌́̊̚͝͝i̵̛͇̰̺̫̬̥̪̐̾̚ͅ ̸̧̭͖̭̚m̵̧̧̮̻̮͓̼̗͕̯̖̩̺̝̗̾̓̇̉g̵̢̥̟̜̠̘͉̙̦̹̳̬͋͂̊̉͌͑̏́̇͛̈́̈́̾͒l̵̜̣̲̞̙̍̿̇̈́̊w̶̹̖̯̝̅̽̍̈͗̍̈́̄͒͊̚̚'̵̢̖͔̦̖̲̤̘̽̄͛̀̋̃̈̊͑̎͛̚͝ͅn̵̡͓̟̼̤̺̙͖̘̲̼̭̱͔͗͝a̸̤̦̹̦̘̬̒̏̒͂͆̒̾̐͘͝f̸͍́̀̌͆̀̏̓͐͂̍̿͘ḩ̸̡͓͈͔̥̪̲̭̪͈̙̯̮͐͊̌̿̈́͂͆.̷̨̢̨̢̛̮͍̤̱̹͖̩̮̪͚͐͐̈́́̓̌̃̀̄̚͘

A tendril twitched on X's bulbous form. A voice, oddly familiar, echoed directly into his mind, sending shivers through his Eldrich flesh. "Hello, hello. Can you hear me?"

X found himself adrift in an inky void, his senses overwhelmed by the absence of familiar starlight. 'Where'd the constellations go?' he pulsed a silent question towards the vast emptiness. But a more pressing concern wriggled its way to the forefront of his consciousness.

"Chaos?" he boomed mentally, addressing the formless entity he knew resided in this unsettling dimension. "Why now?"

A wisp of amusement swirled in the void, coalescing into a swirling cloud. "Oh! It seems I've snagged you. Long time no see, wouldn't you say?"

"Years!" X pulsed back, a surge of frustration rippling through his form. "I thought you'd abandoned me entirely!" He flailed a particularly thick tentacle in emphasis, the appendage leaving an inky trail in the empty space.

The cloud pulsed apologetically. "Now, now, now. I did mention a little slumber, didn't I? But look at you! You've been busy. Minions galore, just bursting with potential! Loyal little buggers too, from what I can see. And is that a MonsterTree? Weren't those extinct? Fascinating!" Chaos rambled on, its formless voice tinged with a hint of childlike wonder.

X, however, remained silent, a tendril twitching in suspicion.

Sensing his mood, the cloud cleared its nonexistent throat. "Ahem, right. Catching up and all that. So, you snagged that Divine Quest, did you?"

A wave of satisfaction washed over X. He pulsed his tendrils happily. "Indeed. Thank you for the, ahem, heads-up about the Wargs. A rather short warning, but invaluable nonetheless."

The cloud seemed to shrink, its voice turning hesitant. "Actually, about that… There might have been a slight misunderstanding. The System issued the counter Quest, not me. And how do I put this…" the cloud's form rippled like disturbed water, "I need you to fail it."

"Huh?" X pulsed, confusion clouding his thoughts. His tendrils flailed in a bewildered dance. "But why?"

The cloud seemed to inflate with newfound confidence. "There's a tangled web here, so listen closely. You've been accumulating Taboo at an impressive rate, well done by the way! It fuels me, you see. But not exactly everyone on the divine plane appreciates your… enthusiasm."

The cloud pulsed ominously, a flicker of purple lightning illuminating its form for a brief moment. "Let's just say your little… projects with the local fauna haven't exactly endeared you to the Deity of Beasts and Hunting."

A low rumble echoed within the void, and a vision flashed through X's mind – a hulking figure wreathed in furs and hides, its eyes blazing with fury.

"This puffed-up peacock is the one who put a hit on you, wouldn't you know it?" the cloud chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down X's tendrils.

"So, failing the quest wouldn't solve anything," X pulsed, the tendrils around his central mass twitching with a growing unease. "Explain yourself, Chaos."

"Patience, my friend," the cloud pulsed soothingly. "The yuan-ti you're supposed to vanquish, she dabbles in Taboo as well. Taking her out would still benefit that stuffy ‘Beast Lord’. But…" a mischievous glint seemed to spark within the cloud, "if we keep her alive, let her grow her Taboo… wouldn't that be delightfully chaotic?"

Lightning danced within the cloud's form, illuminating a grotesque parody of a grin. "Imagine the sheer amount of divine irritation it would cause! That self-righteous buffoon wouldn't know what to do with himself!"

A tendril lashed out, frustration and a flicker of betrayal pulsing through X. "But Chaos, she and her Wargs…"

"Wreaked havoc on your village, I know, I know," the cloud soothed. "But trust me, she's an asset in the long run. Besides," the cloud pulsed with a hint of desperation, "a real Champion is bound to come after you sooner or later. We need allies, X. And she has the potential to be a most… valuable one."

The demand for an alliance hung heavy in the air, a discordant note amidst the usual chaotic symphony. X recoiled, his tendrils lashing in protest. "Allies with her?" he boomed, the very idea churning his insides. "Those Wargs tore through our village, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake! And my precious rabbits," his voice cracked, a tremor of raw emotion shaking his form, "they didn't stand a chance."

The cloud pulsed with a sympathetic glow, a flicker of empathy battling the usual chaotic amusement. "I understand your anger, X. But trust me, we need her." The turbulence within the cloud subsided, solidifying into a resolute form. "Look, I wouldn't ask this lightly. But a threat is coming, one far more powerful than anything you’ve faced before."

X fell silent, the weight of the coming threat settling heavily upon him. Forgiveness, the very notion felt alien. "Forgive that murderer?" he rumbled, the word leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. It was something he wouldn't even consider under normal circumstances.

Yet, a strange twist of fate had placed him here, a creature of darkness seeking guidance from a chaotic deity. He closed his manyfold eyes, and a wave of memories flooded his mind. Images flickered – a past life, a life bathed in the blood of countless innocents. A mercenary, a killer, a destroyer. Shame wasn't part of the equation, but a cold, detached recognition of his past deeds.

"I... I too did things," he confessed, his voice devoid of pride or shame. "Unspeakable things. In another life, I took lives, razed villages to the ground. It's a past life, a different me, but it happened."

He paused, the confession hanging heavy in the void. "Those memories feel distant now, alien even. But they make me wonder..." He trailed off, searching for the right words. Finally, he found them. "I guess what I'm saying is, maybe there's a chance for her. Perhaps, unlike me, she can still find redemption."

A cheer erupted from the cloud, a sound that boomed through the emptiness. "That's the spirit, X! Forgiveness is a powerful tool, even if it's just a chance, a sliver of hope." The cloud swirled with renewed energy. "But here's the thing, trust? Not a chance! She's yuan-ti, remember? Their word is worth less than a dead kobold. Half-truths and lies are their currency, the other half is Charm and Suggestion spells."

X's tendrils twitched, a renewed flicker of doubt flickering in his core. This potential alliance already felt precarious, built on shaky foundations.

"The good news," the cloud continued, morphing into a mischievous shape, "is that they understand one thing perfectly: power and profit. We'll use that as leverage, dangle a carrot in front of her too tempting to resist."

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A sliver of understanding flickered in X's mind. He wasn't sure he liked the plan, but faced with the looming threat, desperate times called for desperate measures. He trusted the Chaos, in its own chaotic way, to have a plan.

"Alright," he rumbled, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Sounds like you have something in mind. Let's hear it." The darkness pulsed with a conspiratorial glow as the Chaos laid out its elaborate scheme, a plan as twisted and unpredictable as the deity itself.

…

The air crackled with tension. Shouts of concern echoed around X as he snapped back to focus. His eldritch eyes scanned the room, taking in the worried faces of his precious rabbits.

"Master? [Care]. Master!" RabbitMaid's voice was frantic. "He might be Charmed!"

“Master, are you alright?” Worried hands of the RabbitGuard tugged at the tentacle.

X blinked, disoriented. Time seemed to have flowed strangely during his conversation with the Deity. "Sorry," he rumbled, "I spaced out a bit. I’m not charmed."

He shifted his gaze to the bound yuan-ti woman, Shazara. The weight of his task settled heavily upon him.

"I’m not charmed… that's exactly what a charmed person would say!" the RabbitGuard countered with suspicion in her voice.

The HuntMaster wasted no time, the tip of her spear already inches from Shazara's throat. "Let's kill her to end the Charm spell," she growled.

"NO! STOP!" X boomed, his voice cutting through the tension. "I need her alive. And for the record, again, I'm not charmed."

The spear trembled in HuntMaster’s hand, hesitating before retracting. Shazara, meanwhile, hissed in alarm.

"If I was charmed, it would show in my status," X lied smoothly, banking on the rabbits' ignorance of the "DetectCharm" spell. "Besides," he continued, waving a tentacle dismissively, "a quick death is far too easy a punishment for this one."

Shazara, sensing an opportunity, coiled her serpent-like body closer to the vine prison and addressed X directly. "Abomination, sss," her voice lacked any emotion, not even fear. "There has been a mis-ssss-take."

X scoffed. "A mistake? Oh right, you can't speak Tentackle. RabbitMaid, translate for me."

"A mistake?" RabbitMaid echoed, her fur bristling. "You filthy snake!"

“Yes, a big mistake. Sss, I’ve been sss-set up. I didn't know there would be demihumans, sss, I mean demimonsters here. Nor that the Abomin… sss, your Master, the lord of this land, sss, that he would be intelligent. If only I knew, sss, I…”

"It doesn't excuse your crimes!" the RabbitMaid roared, her voice laced with righteous fury. "Murderer!"

Faced with an undeniable truth, “True, sss, true,” Shazara conceded the point. “I’m ready to reimburse you fully. Let’s talk this out, yes-sss?” A pathetic attempt to buy her way out of the situation, but negotiation was her only hope.

“You killed many, snake. Is your soul worth more than that of the DemiRabbit?” X flailed urging the RabbitMaid to translate.

“Well, I’m level 15 Tamer sss-so…” Taking in all the glares Shazara clammed up for a moment. “… I’m ready to do whatever is required of me, yes-sss, so that I might live.”

RabbitMaid, however, seemed unconvinced. "Master! Don’t trust her!" she stomped her foot for emphasis.

He knew that, he’d discussed as much with Chaos, thus X continued with the plan. He proposed a twisted pact involving Branding and a MonsterCore.

The RabbitMaid, ever the loyal interpreter, explained the gruesome reality of the Branding – a permanent tie to X, with Shazara’s soul forfeit upon her demise. She then revealed the unknown function of the MonsterCore – a permanent tie to the Rabbit Village as X's loyal servant.

Shazara, despite her initial confusion about the two, understood the immediate implications – servitude in exchange for her life. "Sss?" she hissed, her voice laced with disbelief, quickly replaced by a desperate acceptance. "I can agree to this, yes-sss."

With a heavy heart, X turned his attention to the BloodAppleTree, fully aware of its sentience. "Dearest BloodAppleTree," he flicked his tentacles in affection, "you did well. Release the yuan-ti, we'll pay her weight in blood – this will be your reward."

A thick root shot out from the ground, only inches away from X. "No need," the tree responded in a surprisingly eloquent Tentacle. The green shimmering light dimmed and the vines binding Shazara receded with a soft rustle, releasing her completely.

"It speaks!" the RabbitMaid exclaimed, her surprise momentarily overshadowing her anger towards the yuan-ti.

X, however, ignored the bewildered rabbits. "That's a good boy," he praised the blood-drinking plant, a strange camaraderie blossoming between them.

Shazara, free but far from free, used the brief moment to regain her composure. "I'm at your sss-service… Master," she hissed, bowing deeply in a gesture of submission, her voice laced with a hint of venom.

A cold smile played on X's many mouths. "Excellent. Then, shall we begin the Branding? Brace yourself, it will," he reached out, a tendril opening, revealing the pulsating eldritch blood within, "HuRt. A LoT." All his eyes narrowed on the yuan-ti, a predator claiming his prize.

A bloodied tentacle, its crimson surface slick and glistening, drifted towards Shazara's midsection. It brushed against her cool emerald scales, sending a shiver down her spine despite her best efforts to appear impassive. With agonizing slowness, the tentacle began to draw a swirling pattern onto her skin. The glyphs, etched in an ancient, forgotten language, pulsed with a faint purple luminescence. Shazara held her breath, a mask of cold indifference the only defence she had left. Fear, if there was any, remained locked away in the depths of her serpentine heart.

The chanting began, the many mouths of X speaking in a synchronized chorus that vibrated through the very air. The power thrummed in the clearing, tangible and undeniable.

"Drawn in crimson, a pact of might. Obey my command, through day and night."

The air crackled with eldritch energy as the ritual unfolded. Shazara tensed, her muscles coiling beneath her scales. This was the moment she'd feared, the moment she'd surrendered to. Yet, she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

The ritual continued, each phrase carrying a weight of power and control.

"O blood of mine, form Chaos seed. Flow and forge, the forbidden deed."

The pulsating Eldritch blood within X's opened tentacle bubbled and hissed, a malevolent life force straining against its confines. Shazara watched, a sliver of morbid fascination battling with the cold dread that coiled around her.

"Immortal spirit, untainted and free. Yield to my purpose, bend the knee."

With a swift jab, X plunged the bloodied tentacle into the centre of the intricate pattern. The glyphs flared to life, erupting in a chilling purple flame. Shazara gritted her teeth, a low hiss escaping her throat. The pain was unlike anything she'd ever experienced – a searing agony that threatened to consume her.

"In cage eternal, be bound to me. Obey my will, your Master I shall be."

The chanting reached its crescendo as X ripped the bloodied tentacle away. A tether, a shimmering strand of purple energy, connected the tendril to the scorching brand seared onto Shazara's skin. It pulsed once, then vanished, leaving only a faint, intricate scar as evidence of the ritual's completion.

A gasp escaped Shazara's lips. Her body, wracked with the aftereffects of the branding, convulsed on the ground. Each ragged breath brought a lessening of the pain, but the memory of it would forever be etched in her mind.

"Sss!" she hissed, the sound laced with both pain and defiance. "I ACCEPT," she forced the words out, the effort evident in her raspy voice. The weight of her decision, the weight of her servitude, crashed down upon her.

As the last vestiges of the pain receded, X gestured with another tentacle. "It's Done," he rumbled. "Now, for the other thing..."

Shazara, her body still trembling, lifted her head to look at him. "The MonsterCore, sss..." she rasped, her voice weak but her eyes cold and calculating.

"Worry not," RabbitMaid chirped smirking, "this one won't hurt."

Shazara straightened her posture, a flicker of defiance returning to her serpentine form. "I fear no pain, sss! I'm ready."

However, X's next action caused a flicker of unease to cross Shazara’s face. "EhEM," he cleared his non-existent throat, a sound that scraped against the tense silence. "Rabbits," he continued, a hint of embarrassment colouring his voice, "I'll need you to look away for this one."

The RabbitGuard and a bunch of newbie Hunters exchanged confused glances. "What? Why?" the RabbitGuard questioned, tilting her head in suspicion.

"Master, it's still unsafe. We should have our eyes on her,” the HuntMaster warned.

"I still think the snake is unworthy of this honour!" the RabbitMaid protested, thumping a foot down for emphasis.

X's voice turned firm. "I have to do this and… and It won't come out if all of you are watching! Turn around!" he commanded with a flick of a tendril. "And don't turn around to sneak a peak. I have my eyes on you!"

The rabbits, reluctant but wary of disobeying, slowly turned away.

Shazara, her curiosity piqued, couldn't resist a sly question. "What is this about?" she wondered out loud.

A single tentacle, unlike any other X possessed, unlike any Shazara had ever seen, approached her. It was smooth, devoid of the eyes and mouths that adorned his other appendages. This one felt almost … special.

"What is it? Sss..." she hissed, her bravado momentarily forgotten. "Is this your Ultimate Weapon? Am I to be struck down? My soul extracted?" The mask of indifference had crumbled, revealing a flicker of fear in her serpentine eyes. The irony wasn't lost on her – of all X's appendages, this unassuming one was the one that truly unsettled her.

"Sss?" she darted a glance at the Eldrich Abomination. X stood perfectly still, all his focus seemingly channelled into whatever he was about to do. "Okay?" Shazara inquired cautiously, bracing herself for the unknown. "Whatever it is, sss, I'm ready."

The smooth tentacle extended further, summoning a swirling mass of darkness – a gooey, inky blob that pulsed with an otherworldly energy. Shazara instinctively reached out and caught it in her hands. "Ah?" she questioned, turning the ooze over in her grasp. "A monster, a sss-slime?" The darkness writhed within her grasp, a sentient entity trapped in a viscous prison. "No, It’s EldrichOoze?" Recognition dawned on her as she looked at X. "What do I do with it? Do I tame it?" A sliver of hope flickered in her eyes, a hope of turning the tables, of somehow weaponizing this strange offering. Just in case, she whispered the mental command, "[Tame]."

Of course, It didn’t work.

X, with a tentacle-borne equivalent of a facepalm, slammed one appendage against his body, the movement conveying his utter frustration with the tamer's misunderstanding. "Drink, Drink It," he boomed, enunciating the word with exaggerated clarity.

Shazara, ever adaptable, shrugged and did as instructed. She sucked the pulsating mass into her stomach, a grimace twisting her features as the darkness flooded her. "Okay, now wh..." Her words were cut short as a jolt of power surged through her body. Her eyes bulged, her entire form trembling under the sudden influx of energy. "WHAT IS-SSS THIS-SSS POWER?! I FEEL LIKE I COULD FIGHT A DRAGON!!!" she roared, the sound echoing through the cavern like the scream of a feral beast. The power coursed through her veins, intoxicating and exhilarating. But alas, it was fleeting. "Oh… it's gone… sss," she hissed, a note of disappointment lacing her voice.

Hearing the commotion subside, the rabbits cautiously turned back around.

"I didn't even know if this would work," X rumbled sheepishly, addressing the rabbits. "After all, she wasn't tagged as a [Monster]. But lo and behold..."

The rabbits scurried closer, inspecting Shazara with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "She became a Minion?!" the HuntMaster exclaimed.

X swayed with uncharacteristic glee. "Yes! The system recognized her as such!"

Shazara, the power coursing through her veins a fading memory, met the rabbits' gazes with a sly smile. "I'm now your minion, yes-sss," she confirmed with a low hiss.

"Shazara, the Minion," X boomed, brandishing a tentacle towards her in a mock-threatening manner. "We’ll work you hard."

She bowed deeply, a hand instinctively going to scratch at the brand seared onto her midsection. "I'm at your service, Master," she hissed, a genuine, albeit unsettling, smile playing on her lips.

A thought budded in her mind: ‘This forced servitude, it seems, isn’t so bad after all. There is power to be gained and… Perhaps, just perhaps, I could turn this situation to my advantage. After all, a snake sheds its skin, but it never loses its fangs.’

…

Suddenly, a wave of notifications flooded X's vision, a digital chaos erupting in the corner of his sight. There, emblazoned in glowing red, was a message that sent a jolt of panic through him:

[Quest Update: Slay the Tamer 0/1 – Failed]

[Warning! You’ve failed the Divine Quest]

[Warning! Your Taboo is too high. You will receive a penalty]

Dread coiled around X's insides. This wasn't part of the plan. A penalty? He flailed a tentacle in frustration, his many mouths gnashing in a soundless scream.

Just as despair threatened to consume him, another message flickered into existence:

[Error!], [ChaosBlessed activated]

For a horrifying moment, X envisioned oblivion, a complete system shutdown initiated by his ever-increasing Taboo. Then, a new message replaced the error, one that filled him with a mixture of relief and begrudging gratitude:

[Quest Update: Slay the Tamer 0/1 > Tame the Tamer 1/1]

[Congratulations! You’ve successfully disrupted the forces seeking to cleanse the Forbidden Forest of your presence]

[Reward: +10 Max CP, +10000 EXP, ???]

X let out a tentacle-waving bellow, a sound that could have been interpreted as either a triumphant roar or a frustrated groan. "That rascally Deity!" he boomed, shaking a fist – or rather, a tentacle – at the unseen sky. "Didn't say anything about a penalty! Though, I suppose..." a mischievous glint flickered in his many eyes, "...no penalty is probably thanks to Chaos pulling some strings behind the scenes. Cheater!"